MOSCOW, Dec 18 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said on +Friday that after the talks in Moscow and the signed cooperation +agreements Croatia expected further advancement of friendly +relations with Russia and Russia's
support in resolving the +disputed Prevlaka issue.+ "All the talks we had, especially with Premier Primakov and +President Yeltsin, indicate that the agreements we signed +represent an outstandingly solid foundation for further advancing +all-round relations between Great Russia and Croatia," Tudjman +told Croatian reporters after talks with Yeltsin in Moscow.+ A reporter asked Tudjman if Croatia aspired to a new strategic +partnership with Russia.+ "We are interested in European integration, but in integration +which will stand as the basis for the existence of independent +states," said the Croatian President.+ Tudjman said Croatia was interested in Europe being the h
MOSCOW, Dec 18 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said on
Friday that after the talks in Moscow and the signed cooperation
agreements Croatia expected further advancement of friendly
relations with Russia and Russia's support in resolving the
disputed Prevlaka issue.
"All the talks we had, especially with Premier Primakov and
President Yeltsin, indicate that the agreements we signed
represent an outstandingly solid foundation for further advancing
all-round relations between Great Russia and Croatia," Tudjman
told Croatian reporters after talks with Yeltsin in Moscow.
A reporter asked Tudjman if Croatia aspired to a new strategic
partnership with Russia.
"We are interested in European integration, but in integration
which will stand as the basis for the existence of independent
states," said the Croatian President.
Tudjman said Croatia was interested in Europe being the homeland of
peoples and states and in not being "limited and left to outvoting
within Europe and the international world order."
The President pointed to the importance of Russia's role in the
modern world, and to the importance Russia ascribed to Croatia.
"Regardless of its current difficulties, Russia remains an
irreplaceable factor in European and world relations," Tudjman
said.
He added his talks with President Yeltsin had also tackled the issue
of Prevlaka, Croatia's southernmost tip bordering with the Federal
Republic Yugoslavia to which the latter has territorial claims.
"I believe that Moscow can also influence the removal of this issue,
which some consider open for many reasons, from the agenda," said
Tudjman.
Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic held separate talks with his
Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.
Granic told reporters Russia supported a consistent implementation
of the Dayton peace agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Russia would also support Croatia with regard to the final
resolution of the Prevlaka issue at the United Nations Security
Council.
Russian Premier Primakov on Friday evening threw a sumptuous state
dinner in honour of the Croatian President's visit.
(hina) ha mm